I found this ford 8.8 on Craigslist and was wondering if it will work in my 89 YJ without much modification? The stock Dana 30 in the rear needs the differential rebuilt and I wanted to replace it with something stronger. Tell me your thoughts and suggestions. ( see attached ad for what I am looking at)

Another thought: would a Dana 44 out of an 88 Wagoneer fit in the YJ or does it require in depth modifications?

if it's an XJ Wagoneer (just like the Cherokee but usually with wood grain sides) the only mod would be to cut off and weld on new axle perches & shock mounts... the width is the same and the lug pattern is the same

if it's a Grand Wagoneer, it's the same mods regarding spring perches & shock mounts, but it's a bit wider, and the lug pattern is different (6 on 5.5")

I guess the resulting questions are:
1) Is it worth trying to hunt down a new axle, or just rebuild the Dana 35 differential
2) what Ford 8.8 would be better option? (from which ford as well)
3) What is the best cost effective axle that can perform on/off road with 35 in tires?

Sorry for the rookie questions, but the Dana 35 is in need of attention.

1) other than regular maintenance (brakes and occasional gear oil changes) the 35 isn't worth putting any money into if your Jeep is modified at all for large tires and/or more power
(and some might argue it's not even worth the maintenance)

2) 8.8 out of a 95-2000 (or maybe 2001) Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer or Mazda Navajo is what you want... larger axles (31 spline I believe) and disc brakes

Confused slightly by the chart on the rangerstation link however. The diagram shows 51" but I think it means 5'1" or 61" according to this previous thread on the 8.8 whereas the Dana 35 appears to 58-1/2" wide. Can someone confirm these numbers?

Also, it appears that the Exploder 8.8 from a '95 through '01 has disc brakes, is limited slip, and is factory with 4.10 ratio. Other searches seem to concur. Any thoughts on this?

Basically, what started as a simple cheap motor swap from a 2.5 to a 4.2/258 has gotten pleasantly out of hand and I need to start a build thread I suppose. The development so far has basically been recorded here.

Since I have gotten to the point of obtaining an SYE, a front axle from an XJ, and an entire drivetrain upgrade, I decided that longterm I would be better off to do an axle swap and complete an SOA in the course of the work rather than doing the work "twice." Right now all I need is an 8.8 and I will make my own modified XJ front driveshaft to the correct length for the rear of my YJ (a local shop will balance it).

To summarize my questions/data:

Ford 8.8 is only about an inch wider per side than the OEM Dana 35 (61-inches for the 8.8 and 58.5 or 58.75 for the Dana 35)?

The 8.8 has disc brakes with the same bolt pattern as the '91 YJ?

The D2 axle code indicates 4.10 ratio

The D2 8.8 is a factory Limited Slip diff

The '95- '01 F8.8 has 31-spline axles making it hugely rugged for a DD/part-time trail rig